She Never Heard the Gunshot
by LKirk816
Summary: One minute Kate was breaking down the door and the next minute she felt the terrible burning and pain.
1. Chapter 1

She never saw him. One minute she was breaking down the door with Esposito, and Ryan. The next thing she knew, her chest burned like fire and her world was spinning out of her control. She never heard the gunshot, but the pain she felt was everything she heard it would be. Her mind was racing.

Her thoughts went to her father. This would send him spiraling downward again. For too long it was just the two of them. If she died right here, what would happen to him? Who would worry about him? She knew the drinking would start again.

Then there was Castle. She always fought to have him stay in the car. This time he listened to her, and all she wanted was to have him right here with her. He would calm her. He would focus her. He could make her fears turn into her strength.

Then she heard him, "Kate, what happened? Are you all right, Kate?" She couldn't answer him. She didn't have the strength. She felt his presence. He touched her face and brushed back her hair. "Kate, stay with me. Don't you leave now. " She opens her eyes and sees concern and worry on his face, but the sight of him soothes her. "Castle, stay…" was all she could say. "Don't worry Kate, I am not leaving you."

"Where is that ambulance?" he yells. Esposito answers, "There here, Finally!" The crew rushes into the room. Before you know it, they are checking Kate's vital signs and trying to stop the bleeding." "We need to transport her now," the EMT says. "Sir, we need you to move, "the EMT says to Castle. Castle stares the EMT right into the eye and answers, "I am not leaving her, no how, no way." Esposito, walks over and says to the crew, "It is ok, he is her partner and we take care of each other in this department. He needs to stay."

With that settled they place Kate on the stretcher and rush her into the ambulance with Castle running along side them, all the while holding Kate's hand. "Come on Kate, you are strong. Stay with me and fight. You are a fighter Kate. You are a good tough cop. I need you to be stronger than you have ever been before." She squeezes his hand and he knows she is listening.

The next few hours are a blur to Castle. She was rushed in to surgery and he is waiting for the doctor. He needs to know how Kate is doing. He won't let his mind think of the "what ifs," She'll make it, she just has to make it," he says out loud. The doctor is approaching. Castle jumps up and runs to meet him. "Dr., how is she? Will she be ok?"

The Doctor take his surgical mask off and sits down. "She's lost a lot of blood. We tied off the artery and luckily there was minimal damage. She needs rest and time. The next 24 hours are critical. When a patient loses this amount of blood they can easily go into shock. That is what we worry about right now." "We'll keep her sedated, let her body heal and then see how things stand tomorrow. She is young and she is very healthy. I think things will look better to us in the morning. Now go home and get some sleep. We'll call you if anything changes."

"Sorry Doc, I am not leaving her. I will do anything I can to help that lady. She is a fighter and I plan on helping her anyway I can." The Doctor smiles and says, "I knew better than to tell a cop to go home. She will be brought to ICU in a few minutes. You can sit with her there."

Castle did not correct the doctor when he called him a cop. All of this time with Kate has made him feel like a cop. He admires he so much for her ability to rush in and help others, help the victims families. All he did before that was write about victims. He never felt for them or their families for that much. It was just a means to an end for his story. It wasn't real. It wasn't personal. Now these past few months with Kate made him see how superficial his world was. How his writing crime novels was like child's play compared to her world. He didn't have her courage, her strength. But when he was with her on a case, he felt she made him stronger. She made him care. He knew he was a better writer now than before because his writings took on a more personal line. He felt things he never felt before. He more than admired her. He knew he loved her. He also knew telling Kate Beckett that would send her rushing away as fast as the patrol car could take her. She was hurt. She was scared. She needed protected and he was just the one for the job, even if it meant protecting her from him.

Kate was wheeled into the room. His heart sunk. The tubes and machines frightened him. His throat closed on him and his eyes grew moist. "She looks so helpless" he thought. He stood by her bedside and brushed her hair with his fingers. "Kate, I'm here Kate. I know you can't hear me, but I am not leaving you. I want you to fight this Kate, be strong. We have so much to do yet, me and you. I want to meet your Dad and hear about when you were young. I want to see a few cute baby pictures of you. I want to know all about you, Kate."

He is tired from the emotional events. He wants to rest a bit. Kate stirs in her sleep and reaches out for his hand. He comes to life again. He sits on the edge of Kate's bed and stretches out beside her. She lays her head next to him as he places his protective arm around her. "No one will hurt you again, Kate." He closes his eyes and falls asleep.

He is awakened by movement at his side. He glances down at Kate who is smiling through closed eyes. "Leave it to you, Castle, to spoon in a hospital ICU."

She is back. He knows she will be all right. He turns to her, smiles and says," if you weren't all hooked up there Little Missy we could see what else we can do in ICU." They both laugh and she goes back to sleeping in the protection of his arms.


	2. Chapter 2

They released her two weeks ago from the hospital, but she still could not go back to the precinct. Her friends checked on her many times in these past few weeks. Castle had her staying in his spare room so he could keep a close eye on Beckett. The doctor said she was at about 80% and she needed to get rest and relax. Castle would make sure of it. He knew she was trying to keep up her guard. He talked to a few cops at the precinct about getting shot and what they went through. "The physical part of it wasn't the hard part actually, Castle. It was the fear. My nerves got the best of me and I had a heck of a time wanting to come back to work," Captain Montgomery told him. "I couldn't sleep, I couldn't eat, and the last thing that I wanted to do was come back here."

"What did you do? How did you work through it?" asked Castle. "Well, it took my very patient and caring wife, a loving family and a great vacation to South Carolina. I talked it out with my wife, who I think secretly did want me to quit the force. Still, she made me see this is all I ever wanted to be and to leave it under these circumstances would let the shooter win. I walked the beach, sat on the deck and tried to figure out what I needed to learn about my self. Did I need to learn about my weaknesses or did I want to learn how this could become my strength. I guess I don't have to tell you, it became my strength."

Castle knew what he had to do, but getting Beckett to talk about it was very difficult. He had an idea. He made Martha pack what little of Beckett's personal belonging's she had at the condo and he packed a few things for himself. They would set out on a drive with no pre selected destination. Maybe in a few days she could relax and enjoy and let her guard down. That is when he would try to talk things over with her.

"Castle, where are we going? Are you kidnapping me? Kate asked. "Well, it does appear that way so, yeah, let's go with it. I am kidnapping you Kate. What are you going to do, call a cop?" "Very funny, Mr. Castle, you know I still have my handcuffs."

"Ah yes about those handcuffs, Kate." His wiggling eyebrows made her laugh. "Well, that is good to see, a smile and a laugh, Kate." "I know I've been a pain Rick, I can't really explain why but I promise I won't ruin this trip, ok?" Kate fusses in the passenger seat finding a good radio station. "Kate, any trip with you could never be ruined. Relax, that is what this trip is all about. It is just you, me and no demands on us. Where would you like to go, Kate?" "Surprise me, Castle."

When she awakens a few hours later it appears they have reached the shore. "Where are we?" "Ocean City, Maryland," he responds. "There always were great places to rent along the beach here when Alexis was little." "I liked how peaceful it was here. It was away from the city and very secluded. Alexis would play on the beach and I would try to escape and just regroup here."

Beckett leaned over and kissed his cheek. "I know what you are trying to do. Thank you." "As far as I know", Castle said, "I'm just trying to seduce a beautiful lady!" "Uh huh, well keep trying. It's working."

While Castle unpacked the rental car, Kate stood on the back deck. She was looking out over the ocean as the sun was low in the sky. Seagulls were circling and off in the distance she could see surfers paddling their boards out to catch the last waves of the day. She thinks to herself, "I could stay here forever." A young couple walked by arm in arm on the beach below the deck. One had a T-shirt on that read "No Hurry, No Worries." Kate smiled as she read it. "I wish no worries" she said to no one.

Castle walked up behind her and put his arms around her waist, "penny for your thoughts, Kate Beckett." Kate turns around, puts her arms around Castle's neck and says, "I could stay just this way forever, you know." Castle leans in; his hands stroke her back ever so slightly while he brings his lips slowly to hers. She kisses him tenderly but soon his kisses are trailing down her neck. "Hmmmm Castle, I think we should go inside."

"OK", he reaches down, lifts her up and carries her into the condo while she laughs and nuzzles his neck. "Put me down, Rick." Castle laughs and says, "You know in Officer and a Gentlemen she never yelled "put me down," to Richard Gere."

"Call Richard Gere and he can carry me too!" Kate joked. "It's the uniform right, ladies just love the uniforms. Got to get me a uniform," Castle quips. He puts Kate down and they begin to decide on dinner.

After dinner, Castle brings Kate a glass of wine out to the deck. She is sitting at the edge of the steps beyond the railing. He hands her the glass and sits down behind her with each leg wrapped around her as her head rests on his chest.

"Isn't that sunset beautiful, Castle? For a minute I can almost imagine everything is perfect." "Everything is perfect, Kate," Castle says. "I wish that were true. I've been doing a lot of thinking these last few weeks, Rick. I'm seriously considering leaving the force."

"Kate, why would you do that? You love what you do." "Correction, Castle, I loved what I did. But I don't think I can do it anymore." Castle turns her in his arms so she is facing him as he asks her, "Why can't you do it anymore?" She whispers her answer so only he can hear, "I'm afraid."

"Kate, you are strongest person I know, and the bravest. You are a great cop. You can make this action of one gunman your strength. Use it to keep you from allowing him to alter what you love about this job. You can think strength, act from strength and strength will lift you up." "I wish I could just by mere strength of my will make that happen, Rick." "Well, dear Kate, if you will it, it is no dream."

Kate laughs and says, "Theodore Herzl? You quote Theodor Herzl about my being a cop? "Kate, he was writing about the change one person or a generation can make in a society. It is very relevant to your fear. One person can make a difference. You make a difference Kate, to your victims' families. They need you and they need your guidance and your strength. It is no dream….."

She places her drink down, wraps her arms around him and cried for the first time in weeks. The sobs just rose in her and Castle was there to comfort her. They sat for a long time together like that, just the two of them. When her crying lessened, he raised her chin, delicately kissed her lips and said, "Kate Beckett what say I whip your ass at poker?"

"Oh really, now. Let's just see about that. I am going to mop you up buddy. You can't just challenge this girl and get away with that. Where are the cards? Did you bring the chips? I hope you have money because it will be buying me a great breakfast tomorrow……..lunch and dinner too………..

Castle smiled from ear to ear as his Beckett walked into the condo raising a ruckus. He knew she was back. The old Beckett was back. He could still hear her from the deck: "the man is toast, he' see when I get through with him I might own all publishing rights to the Nikki Heat books. Who does he think he is……?" He walks inside and is greeted by Kate. She stops her grumbling, reaches out for him, wraps her arms around his waist and says, "After I take you for everything you own, wait and see what I "will" next, and it will be no dream Rick!"

Have Mercy!


End file.
